We Survivors [Published Version]

4: Empty Streets | Nadia

I used to love cities—the lights at night, the buzz of a million different people going about their day, the museums, the concerts. Now each one held nothing but death. I'd given up on them. I stayed in the wilderness for as long as I could, until I was forced to restock supplies.

Out there I could pretend my new lifestyle was a choice, just an extended backpacking trip or a Walden-esque stint in nature. Life went on as normal, like before, somewhere. In the cities there were too many reminders of The End and all I'd lost.

But I couldn't avoid them altogether. At first, I'd mainly collected food and water. Now that I was adapting to my primitive lifestyle, I stocked up on creature comforts like shampoo and deodorant, books and batteries, always searching for lighter, more portable cooking accessories and survival gear.

Soon, I thought, I could avoid them all but a few times a year. But that would change now. Jake insisted we head into a nearby city to gather supplies before we met Coby and Zara. As he pointed out, we'd become a group of four and there's no telling how well equipped the others were.

We didn't know much about our new companions. Zara had said she hated talking on the "phone" and insisted that we should meet. When we realized it was under a day's journey to do so, that became our plan. I felt steadier about this rendezvous than I had about the one with Jake. At least there was someone else to confirm my imagination hadn't run wild this time.

Jake usually stayed in the woods, too, but he didn't mind the cities as much as I did; he seemed immune to the desolation. As we walked through the empty streets together, I couldn't help imagining the ghosts of all the people who used to live there.

At times I didn't need to imagine. It had been long enough that most of the bodies remaining were down to bone. First picked clean by scavengers, then turned to dust by maggots and beetles. But a few people had locked themselves in their cars, windows up, so their decay took longer. I did my best to keep my eyes on the road and away from the bloated forms stuck in the seats of their cars.

Signs of the panic that had gripped the city were everywhere. Shells of weather-beaten cars were arranged haphazardly, blocking each other, doors left swung wide. Suitcases lay abandoned and water-damaged on sidewalks and a vulture flew overhead. I tried not to imagine what it had been feasting on. A girl's bike, still with training wheels attached and crumpled tassels streaming from the handlebars, lay in the road. It looked exactly like Nicole's.

I approached and tried to set the bike upright, but it was bent—as if run over by a fleeing car—and fell back over.

It broke me. I stumbled away from Jake, trying to hide my tears. As I sat against the empty hull of a building, I tucked my knees to my chest and sobbed. Jake must have realized I wasn't beside him, because after a few minutes he approached. I didn't want him to see me like this. I wanted him to think I was strong.

I buried my face in my hands and he knelt beside me on one knee. I peeked out and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

His face softened and he ran his fingers through his brown hair. I admired the way the stubble on his jawline accentuated his high cheekbones. "It's okay," he said, almost a whisper. "Let it out."

Then I saw him glance at my arm—well, at the one-inch, raised lines on my left arm. Some white, others still pink. He didn't say anything, but his lips tightened. I jerked my sleeve back down and shook my head, trying to stop the tears. "It's just—" I pleaded for him to understand. "I've been in survival mode for so long."

He nodded.

"And now—now we'll be with other people again. I have to get back to living."

Jake gripped my shoulder once, prompting me to continue.

"It's overwhelming. To be alive now, when no one else is. Not so long ago people were going about their lives. Now no one will ever be stuck in traffic, or have popcorn at the movies—or do any other of a thousand mundane things—again. All the things life is made of... they're gone now." I stared into the distance, wishing we'd stayed out in the woods and hoping Jake understood. If he didn't, no one would.

Finally, he spoke. "I know what you mean, Nadia. But you're wrong."

I looked up at him, my face stinging and prickly from the drying tears.

"As long as we're still alive, there's living to be done. We'll find Zara and Coby, and there could be others left in the world, too. Don't lose hope."

He squeezed my shoulder once more, then stood.

"And hey," he said, offering his hand. "Whatever these new people are like, I've got your back."

A smile tugged at my lips as I took his hand. "I've got yours, too."

He helped me to my feet, and we continued through the city. After we'd filled our packs with canned soup and vegetables, collected spare batteries for our radios and flashlights, and I'd traded my battered Edible Plants of North America for a similar book with more entries, we set off to meet our new companions.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Quick reminder that you can read the whole story now through Kindle Unlimited on Amazon. Otherwise I'm having a holiday sale on the eBook - only $2.99 through Dec. 7! :)